rockefeller Essays (780 words) - Rockefeller Family,

Rockefeller was born on July 8, 1839 in Richford, New York. He married Laura C. Spelman (1839-1915) on September 8, 1864. His mother, Eliza Davison Rockefeller, was very religious and disciplined, she was the person who taught him to work hard, save and give to charities. Rockefeller's mother had the biggest influence on him involving his religion and philanthropy. John D. Rockefellers father, William Avery Rockefeller, was a pitch man or a doctor that says he can cure cancers for a fee. John and Laura Rockefeller had four girls and one boy. The one boy they did have, John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (1874-1960), went on to continue his father's work and make the Rockefeller name a well-liked one instead of one that was a bitter reminder of his father's business techniques. Rockefeller attended Folsom's Commercial College for ten weeks where he studied single and double entry bookkeeping, penmanship, commercial history, mercantile customs, banking and exchange to help him get a job. He never attended any other type of school after attending Folsom's Commercial College. Standard Oil was founded in 1870 by Rockefeller, William Rockefeller, Henry Flagler, Samuel Andrews, Stephen Harkness and O.B. Jennings, but John Rockefeller had the largest share of the company at thirty percent. Rockefeller had the largest share because he was the founder of the company and he knew how stock shares could earn him more money. By now Rockefeller was one of America's wealthiest men and he was just getting started. By 1879 he had bought out almost all other refineries and Standard Oil refined ninety percent of the oil in America. Rockefeller wanted to make the company successful by expanding and since Standard Oil used their own tank car fleet, ships, docking facilities, barrel-making plants, draying services, depots, warehouses and pipelines, it didn't have to spend much money for any outside parties to make something. Rockefeller was a careful planner and wanted to waste as little as possible. Rockefeller changed the thinking in businesses because he was a first to o wn all the materials to run a large business. Soon Standard began refining crude oil, moving westward and it began foreign markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America and at this point it was almost a monopoly. Rockefeller was becoming so powerful and around this time many rumors about how he ran his business started to come out and he got a reputation as being a cold-hearted money lover, which was actually pretty accurate. Rockefeller had wanted since he was a boy to earn $100,000 and he ended up being the first billionaire in America Rockefeller created the Sanitary Commission that helped raise an interest in public health, especially in the south where Hookworm Disease was a problem. He wanted to keep the public healthy and despite what many people thought, Rockefeller did care about other people. By the time he died he had given the University of Chicago more than $80 million, as well as founding it. In 1902 Rockefeller established the General Education Board and his son John D. Rockefeller Jr. planned the construction of Rockefeller Center in New York City and donated the land upon which the United Nations building now stands. Rockefeller and his son also created Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in 1901, renamed Rockefeller University in New York, and he founded the University of Chicago in 1892. These universities greatly help in the study of the human body and finding cures for many illnesses or diseases. Rockefeller in a way shaped the American industry and set a good example of what giving is. John D. Rockefeller died on May 23, 1937 in Ormond, Florida after retiring from the oil industry in 1911. John D. Rockefeller greatly changed American industry. Rockefeller is a good example of rags to riches story of someone who worked hard their whole life and never gave up on what he wanted. Bibliography Bill, Bell. Titan, by Ron Chernow; Random ($30). (Originated from New York Daily News). Knight/Tribune News Service27 May 1998: p527K2422. Byers, Paula K., ed. Encyclopedia of World Biography.18 vols. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1998. Draper, Roger. Titan The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (book review). Find Articles. 5 October 1998. 3pp. 25 October 2000. MacMillian Profiles. Rockefeller, John D. MacMillian Profiles: Tycoons and

CEDAW and Saudi Arabia Essay Example

CEDAW and Saudi Arabia Essay Example CEDAW and Saudi Arabia Essay CEDAW and Saudi Arabia Essay Name: Tutor: Course: Date: CEDAW and Saudi Arabia Introduction The convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination (CEDAW) is a treaty adopted by the United Nations (UN) general assembly in 1979. It has a preamble and thirty articles, which define the meaning of discrimination against women and details the means of ending such discrimination. States and governments, which accept the gathering, have to commit themselves towards ensuring that they end any form of discrimination towards women. This includes trafficking and any exploitation of women. Governments must ensue that women have equal chances of representation in employment and political matters. They must ensure that women receive the right of education and healthcare. To enhance accountability, countries have to prepare and submit reports detailing the measures they have taken towards realizing the objectives of the treaty after every four years (UN).[1] CEDAW is the only international treaty that focuses on prejudice not in favor of women. By November 2010, 186 countries ha d ratified or acceded to the gathering. Countries not party to the gathering include Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Tonga, Nauru and Palau.[2] Some of the countries, such as Saudi Arabia, which have ratified the convention, continue to face varying levels of discrimination towards women. This makes many people question the advantage of signing such a treaty. Since its inception, the gathering has laid out different measures that help towards fulfilling its objectives. Supporters of the gathering claim that it has helped to bring some level of equality for the women, and it has helped many governments to set up agendas and establish laws that will help in enhancing women’s rights. However, those who oppose ratifying the gathering site different reasons such as interfering with a country’s sovereignty, and the inability of the gathering to make any significant changes regarding women’s issues. Saudi Arabia ratified CEDAW in the year 2000. However, Saudi Arabia had some reservations when it ratified the gathering. The kingdom â€Å"does not consider itself bound by paragraph 2 of article 9 of the gathering and paragraph 1 of article 29 of the gathering.† Paragraph 2 of article 9 states, â€Å"States parties shall grant women equal rights with men respect to the nationality of their children (UN).† Paragraph 1 of article 29 states, â€Å"any dispute between two or more states parties concerning the interpretation of application of the present gathering which is not settled by negotiation shall, at the request of one of them, be submitted to arbitration. If within six months of arbitration the parties are unable to agree on the organization of the arbitration, any one of those parties may refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice (UN)†.[3]Another reservation is that the kingdom is not under any obligation to observe any terms of the gatherin g, which are contrary to Islamic law. Analysis Saudi Arabia is an Islamic country bound by Islamic laws, culture, traditions, beliefs and practices. Saudi Arabia operates under the sharia law, and this law hinders it from engaging with other countries at an international level. Many Islamic countries do not sign or ratify international treaties if they consider them contrary to sharia law.[4] Several questions arise regarding the kingdom’s commitment towards fulfilling its obligations because of the decisions made to make the reservations. The kingdom refuses to recognize women’s full and equal rights to men because of its refusal to observe paragraph two of article nine of the gathering. Since the country places its laws above international treaties, it continues to observe the restrictive Islamic sharia laws, most of which are prohibitive. In addition, many Islamic governments do not agree on the interpretation of different sharia laws. Some of these governments tend to be more liberal regarding women’s iss ues, while some are conservative and restrictive. For instance, women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive or vote.[5] People’s attitudes regarding women’s freedom and equality depend on their attitude and perception. Thus, although some prohibitive practices are not contained in the country’s laws, people continue practicing them because of what they believe. Despite the reservations, the kingdom had managed to identify mechanisms, which had helped in addressing violence towards women by 2008. Furthermore, the kingdom had established laws that would recognize women’s rights. It had amended several laws, in recognition of the rules and policies of the gathering.[6] Many Islamic states are patriarchy states, and Saudi Arabia is no exception. Discriminatory policies in Saudi Arabia are protected by the law. Thus, women will have second priority in matters, family, social, political, education, and civic life. Saudi Arabia enforces sexual segregation, and this makes it an excuse for women to lack jobs, receive an inferior education, and miss an opportunity to participate in political affairs. Although the convention does not discourage sex segregation in education, it requires that both men and women receive the same quality of education. However, women in the kingdom continue to receive inferior education and they have unequal opportunities.[7] For instance, women are not allowed to enroll in certain courses such as engineering, geology, and politics because they will interact with men and the government does not encourage this because it supports sex segregation in all sectors of life.[8] Saudi Arabian women lack a voice in many issues. They have few chances of getting meaningful employment, even after going through university education. They do not get a chance to participate in public affairs because they do not engage in political and civic life. Sex segregation made it impossible for women to vote. Socially, women are not allowed to drive cars or go to some places when unaccompanied by their guardians, who include husbands, fathers, and brothers.[9] The requirement that countries submit reports towards showing the measures they have established to safeguard women’s rights, does not help matters, in Saudi Arabia, as the government does not give satisfactory results and it avoids responding to sensitive issues regarding women’s rights.[10] The reports are supposed to pressurize the government towards ensuring that it recognizes the rights of women. The reports are also a way for various groups in the country to check on the level of the government†™s commitment. Different NGOs in the country submit a shadow report to CEDAW. The report contains additional information on the government’s performance, other than that submitted formally by the government.[11] Different UN agencies help the NGOs in producing the reports. Over the years, the role of these organizations has become more important. The NGOs are allowed to sit through meetings in the conference room, although they are passive participants in the proceedings.[12] Producing shadow reports in Saudi Arabia is challenging because there are no NGOs in the country. However, different individuals, under the group Saudi Women for Reform, worked together to produce a shadow report in December 2007. The report asserted that women continue facing discrimination, and there is no end in sight for this discrimination to end. Further, the report noted different forms of discrimination that women face daily.[13] The report observes how women face different forms of sexual abuse under me. Women know very little concerning their rights and they do not know about CEDAW. Some Saudi Arabian nationals oppose the idea of women’s rights and equalities because they consider it a western issue. Women in Saudi are considered holders of tradition, and they are important in ensuring that the western way of thinking does not permeate the society.[14] Allowing them to have some level of liberty regarding certain issues is tantamount to giving them the freedom to abandon their culture. Reports on women discrimination in the kingdom are further confirmed by amnesty international. The organization observes how women continue to face discrimination in law and in practice.[15] More reports by Human Rights Watch confirm different forms of discrimination. The organization notes how the authorities have failed to protect women, and how injustice continues to reign in the country in form of unfair trials. Such cases of discrimination are demonstrated in women’s lives. For instance, women receive education, some up to the highest level possible, but they are not allowed to practice their profession.[16] The BBC reported the case of a woman who had to struggle to become a surgeon. Her father only allowed her to study on the condition that her family would receive and use her salary. Further, she was not allowed to marry the man of her choice. The woman was punished every time she dared to speak out against the injustice she suffered. Her story represents many women in the country, who have to go through many obstacles to secure simple life necessities.[17] Negative Aspects of the Convention Those who oppose the gathering cite some factors such as the limiting issues in Saudi Arabia. The gathering has failed to achieve greater equality for the women in the kingdom. There is greater scrutiny of women issues in the kingdom. Different international organizations have raised issue of the detail that women in the kingdom continue facing high levels of discrimination. Since the country ratified the treaty, it has not done much to advance the standing of women in the nation. The gathering does not have sufficient powers to ensure that the nations that have confirmed the treaty do not make reservations, and that they observe gender equality. Therefore, countries can ratify the treaty but they can in turn make as many reservations as they want. The reservations made are contrary to the intention of the gathering. Some of the countries, other than Saudi Arabia, which have ratified, the treaty, continue to deny women their rights, and to exercise different forms of abuse. Women con tinue to suffer varying forms of discrimination in different countries around the world. They continue to lack economic, political, and education opportunities. Saudi men continue oppressing women and they get away with it because the judicial system encourages different forms of abuse. A Saudi woman can be beaten by her husband, her father, or even her brother. Saudi men control women’s lives, including any movement they make through the male guardian system. Women need men permission or accompaniment to register in school, get jobs, and go to the hospital for treatment.[18] Some governments do not take any other effort of ensuring that they have solved women’s problems and issues, since they rely on the gathering as the only source of such information. Such governments end up denying women their right of equality. This is the case in Saudi Arabia. The government has not taken any other measure to ensure that it has established laws that will protect women. It continues depending on the gathering, despite the measures it has taken to make the reservations.[19] The gathering cannot work alone, since it needs the input of other gatherings and treaties, as this will ensure maximum benefits for women.[20] Some of the principles contained in the gathering are not as strong, and they do not cover the necessities to ensure a realization of women’s rights. For instance, the gathering takes a general approach regarding women’s issues, and it does not recognize the need of mentioning the importance of maintaining racial equality.[21] Some coun tries fail to submit their reports or they submit them long after they are due. This could be a reflection of failure in those countries in failing to meet their objectives. Change in perception regarding the importance of recognizing women’s rights directly relates to people’s mindsets regarding women. Irrespective of how many policies the gathering committee recommends, countries will only be able to recognize the equality of women if they manage to change people’s mindset and attitude. Some people continue to hold different stereotypes regarding women’s issues, and for such people, they will not want to recognize women’s rights and equality. The gathering does not have the power to do anything. It cannot impose any fines or penalties to the countries that fail to submit its reports or follow the recommendations set by the gathering. The conference can only name and shame the countries that have failed to meet their objectives.[22] Shaming countries is not enough to ensure that it develops any measures to recognize women’s rights. Some critics have claimed that the gathering is a form of inequality because of i ts central focus towards women. It does not recognize the complexities of gender and race, and it continues to advocate for women’s rights.[23] Other critics claim that to appreciate and recognize women’s rights fully, people have to go beyond observing gender issues to identifying other dissimilarities amid men and women, such as physical strength and reproductive issues.[24] Positive Aspects of the Convention Those who support the gathering cite the benefit of the gathering in raising awareness on women’s issues. Many governments have been able to recognize the need to consider women for various appointments because of the gathering.[25] Some governments have gone as far as incorporating the laws and policies of the gathering in their legal framework. They have been able to change the domestic laws, which were not in agreement with the laws set by the gathering, and this has enabled them to improve the affairs of the women in their country.[26] The introduction of the gathering in many countries helped in redefining the role of women, and in strengthening women activists and individuals in many countries. Over the years, there has been a general perception that women’s role within a society involves bearing children and looking after the home. For a long time, many women, especially in the developing regions, held on to this perception. Thus, they never did anything differen t to build their lives. However, the introduction of the gathering in many state laws has ensured that women have greater opportunities. Despite the obvious limitations, Saudi Arabia has made some changes that favor women, or minimize the level of discrimination leveled towards them by the men. The kingdom has introduced new laws that will allow women to work as lawyers. [27] The kingdom has made changes by allowing women to take governing positions. The king has granted women thirty seats on the top advisory council. This is the first time that woman are holding such a position. Women will run for political office as they seek to be elected in the municipal elections in the year 2015.[28] This is a great stride for the women since they were previously not allowed to vote. The king has gradually introduced reforms in the country, although they are all conditional since they have to comply with the strict religious laws. The government has given permission for women to participate in sports. This is on condition that they do it under the supervision of the female teachers, since men cannot see the women wearing trouser s.[29] Women are now allowed to ride bikes and motorcycles, though they can only do so when wearing the full Muslims attire, and in the company of male guardians. Women recognize that they can do more with their lives, apart from engaging in family duties. The gathering has enabled many women to engage in different economic activities in addition to contribute in the running of the country. This would not have been possible without the introduction of the caucus, along with the willingness of many governments to participate in ensuring that the gathering becomes practical. The gathering has helped in ensuring that women receive equal shares in wealth, especially through inheritance, and that they have an equal share in marriage and divorce agreements. The gathering has given many women the chance to have their voice heard. It has given women a platform to raise various concerns, and they have been able to raise awareness on the violence they face, and on any other forms of abuse. This has ensured that governments and other organizations are more active towards ensuring an end to different forms of gender and sexual based abuse. The gathering receives reports from other agencies, which enables it to determine the extent of discrimination against women. For instance, Food and (FAO) has established gender inequalities in land distribution and ownership among women in rural community. Through the policies set by CEDAW, the agency has been able to determine some of the appropriate measures it can take to ensure that rural women are able to cultivate their land and benefit from it.[30] The gathering has increased awareness of women’s issues, as element of human civil liberties. It has fuelled interest among other organizations, and these organizations use the awareness raised by the gathering to influence other national policies and agendas.[31] Because of this, nations have addressed other issues of concerns including race and disability issues. Countries are able to learn from each other, as they identify the measures that each of them is taking towards realizing the fulfillment of the intentions of the gathering. Countries of a more similar cultural background will identify with each other, and they will learn better from each other. Such countries may decide to formulate different recommendations from those offered by the committee. Those who support the gathering agree that it has several limitations, which render it ineffective. The success and the effectiveness of the gathering depend upon the willingness of the respective governments. If the governments are not willing to recognize women’s rights, then they will establish several reservations, such as the case in Saudi Arabia. These reservations will reduce any chance that the country has of ensuring that women have equal representation in all sectors of life. Some countries continue to be tied to their traditional, cultural, and religious practices. They place their practices above the laws of any international treaties and gatherings. This has limited their willingness towards ensuring that they abide by the recommendations and rules of the gathering. In many countries, culture is a major hindrance towards realizing women’s equality.[32] People are set in their cultural ways, and they do not want to deviate from them. This is especially the c ase regarding family and marriage issues. The gathering recognizes that cultural values are different, but it does not expect people to abuse basic human rights as an excuse of observing their culture. Religion plays a major part in determining whether people will recognize women’s rights. However, this is mostly in Islamic countries, where religion tends to define not only the law, but also cultural beliefs and practices. Conclusion CEDAW has a noble and great idea of humanizing the position of women around the world. It has managed to raise awareness concerning many issues affecting women globally. This has made many governments to recognize the importance of upholding women’s issues. Some governments have integrated the policies and recommendations set by the gathering within their domestic laws and by doing so, they have ensured that women’s rights are guaranteed in their country. The gathering has managed to attract many countries to ratify it since it was first established. More than one hundred and eighty countries have ratified the gathering. However, some of these countries have made several reservations, some of which have exempted them from observing the fulfillment of the objectives. Saudi Arabia ratified the gathering, but its decision to place the Islamic laws above any other treaty or law seems to have defeated the principle of the gathering. The gathering does not have enough power t o enforce countries to follow its policies. In addition, many women around the world continue facing discrimination, even though their countries have ratified the treaty. Bibliography Institutional Documents Amnesty International. Annual Report 2012: Saudi Arabia. Last modified 2012, amnesty.org/en/region/saudi-arabia/report-2012#section-31-6 FAO. The Role of FAO: FAO and the Technical Cooperation Programme. Last modified 2007 Retrieved from fao.org/docrep/008/y5951e/y5951e04.htm UN. Gathering on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. Last modified 2009. un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htm#article9 United Nations Department of Public Information. Short History of CEDAW Convention. un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/history.htm Books Abiad Nisrine. Sharia, Muslim States and International Human Rights Treaty Obligations: A Comparative Study. London: BIICL, 2008 Blanchfield Luisa. U.N. Gathering on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW): Issues in the U.S. Ratification Debate. Darby: DIANE Publishing Goonesekere Savitri. Violence, Law and Women’s Rights in South Asia. Thousand Oaks: SAGE, 2004 Krivenko Y. Ekaterina. Women, Islam, and International Law: Within the Context of the Gathering on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Leiden: BRILL, 2009. Merry, E. Sally. Human Rights and Gender Violence: Translating International Law into Local Justice. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2009 Opeskin, Brian, Perruchoud Richard and Jillyanne R. Cross. Foundations of International Migration Law. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012 Seznec Jean-Francois and Mimi Kirk. Industrialization in the Gulf: A Socioeconomic Revolution. Oxford: Taylor Francis, 2010 Waters P. Christopher. British and Canadian Perspectives on International Law. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2006 Periodicals Rosenblaum, Darren. â€Å"Unsex Cedaw, or what’s wrong with Women’s Rights.† Columbia Journal of Gender and Law20 (2011) Warren, S. Christie. â€Å"Lifting the Veil: Women and Islamic Law.† Cardozo Journal of Law Gender15, (2008): 33-64 Zwingel, Susanne. â€Å"From intergovernmental negotiations to (sub)national change: A transnational perspective on the impact of cedaw.† International Feminist Journal of Politics7, no. 3 (2005) Newspapers and Broadcasts Alyami, Ali. â€Å"What Saudi Veils cannot Conceal.† Sharnoff’s Global Views, May 7, 2013. sharnoffsglobalviews.com/saudi-veils-044/ Associated Press. â€Å"Saudi King Allows Women on Top Advisory Council.† The Guardian, January 11, 2013. guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/11/saudi-king-allows-women-advisory-council Associated Press. â€Å"Saudi Arabia to Allow Girls to Play Sport at Private Schools.† The Guardian, May 5, 2013. guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/05/saudi-arabia-allows-women-sport Lee, Dave. â€Å"Saudi Arabian Women challenges male guardianship laws. BBC, June 29, 2011. bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13932287 Paddison, Laura. Can Law Firms with Offices in Saudi Arabia take Women’s Rights Seriously? The Guardian, October 23, 2012 Unpublished materials Human Rights Watch. Perpetual Minors: human Rights Abuses Stemming from Male Guardianship and Sex Segregation in Saudi Arabia. Last modified 2008. hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/saudiarabia0408webwcover.pdf Human Rights Watch. World Report 2013: Saudi Arabia. Last modified 2013. hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/saudi-arabia Saudi Women for Reform. The Shadow Report for CEDAW Prepared by ‘Saudi Women for Reform’ Saudi Arabia. Last modified December 2007. http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/docs/ngos/womenreform40.pdf [1] United Nations Department of Public Information. Short History of CEDAW Convention. un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/history.htm

Political Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Political Theory - Essay Example His Second Treatise on Government, in particular is a comprehensive collection of essays on various aspects of social organization. But theories do not always translate into practice and so governments always do not fulfill the purpose for which they were conceived and formed. We should also remember that electoral processes and democratic institutions that constitute modern governments are also beset by serious flaws. In the present global political scenario, as was the case during the period of European Imperialism, governments concerned themselves with matters way beyond the maintenance of civil liberties to its population. That is, governments have never been strictly political formations, but have always served vested commercial and class interests. A history of European Imperialism is full of such examples, where exploitation of commercial opportunities led to expansion of territories and colonies. It should also be noted that while governments are needed to maintain peace and order in civil societies, there have been plenty of instances in which they have abused their power in suppressing dissident voices and threats to power. Writing his Treatises on Government toward the end of seventeenth century, John Locke could not have foreseen the scale and scope of abuse of power that governments have since exhibited. While this is not mean that Locke’s Treatises are impractical, they do point to the gap between what is real and what is ideal. Also, Locke’s Treatises focus on the interactions between government and the individual as well as the interaction between fellow citizens. There is a lacuna in Locke’s Second Treatise about the nature and dynamics of power relations between governments and how this could undermine the civil liberties domestically. The nature and complexion on demographics has altered considerably in the period since Locke’s analyses. In an

Conventional and Evolutionary Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conventional and Evolutionary Education - Essay Example Friere suggests that the current method of teaching is one where a teacher poses the authority and "narrates" the learning material to the children, who are passive, and whose only necessary function is to memorize the material they're being taught. There's no involvement of any critical thinking on their part, they don't truly understand what they are learning or comprehend its meaning. The "Banking" concept of education, as he dubs is, represents the idea that the students are being "filled" with knowledge, they are like a vessel or container that gain in substance. Teachers are, in a way," depositing" information to the account, and the students receive this deposit. However, this fails to achieve the goal, as without any thinking about the material and its implications and meanings, what occurs isn't really teaching and certainly not imparting wisdom, insights or critical methods of thinking- it is simply memorizing data, reaching a certain quota of material, nothing more. Friere says that this misses the point entirely, because there isn't really any learning when students are being taught like that. ... The teacher is to be perceived as the one who can give all the answers, the one that knows everything, and does not need to (nor will he ever) learn from his students. This hierarchy and relationship between teachers and students are highly detrimental to students, as they lack motivation, interest or a coherent sense of self as able to learn on their own and being autonomous and competent, not necessarily needing the assistance of the teacher. Contrary to this approach, there is another one called "Problem-posing" education or method. It comprises first of all of being aware or conscious to the consciousness of things, and specifically in the field of education- how education occurs, by what means, in which system and how the information is taught. It proposes a different way which involves more communication, the breaking down of the hierarchy between teachers and students, bringing them closer together. This way also allows teachers to learn from the dialog with their students, ra ther than it being only the students who learn from the teachers. Through this dialog, the teacher evokes students' imagination, reflection and critical thinking, making them very active partners in their learning. Both the teacher and his students are investigating together the material being discussed (learned). The educator along with the students creates conditions that allow the knowledge to be passed on in the highest form and in the best way possible, considering what they students think and then re-considering what he had previously thought. Problem-posing education entails the development of the ability to perceive how we exist in the world in which and with which we live. It regards the world as a reality that is always changing and transforming, rather

Business Report for Consideration by The Directors of Fuller, Smith & Assignment

Business Report for Consideration by The Directors of Fuller, Smith & Turner Plc Based on a Two Year Comparison - Assignment Example The other income exceptional item in 2010 arose from the disposal of property assets. The exceptional distribution costs and administration cost in 2009 arose mainly from the impairment of property asset values... Let us now move towards a ratio analysis of the company for the years 2009 and 2010. The current ratio for year 2009 is 0.49: 1 and for year 2010 it dropped to 0.19:1. This is quite alarming as it means that for every ?1 of its current or short term liabilities, it has only 19 pennies to meet this exigency. No wonder, it had to resort to a sale of land to get some more of the needed cash. The working capital deficiency dropped from ? 23.7 m in year 2009 to ? 101 m in year 2010. On the other hand, the total debt to total assets ratio remained fairly constant in both years, being 0.48: 1 in 2009 and 0.49: 1 in 2010 respectively. However, this means that in the case of liquidation of the company, the creditors can expect only about 50 pence to the pound at most for the clearan ce of their claims. This is indeed a sorry state of affairs. So both the short term and the long term solvency of the business are in question at this point (Meigs & Meigs, 1993, 943). Looking at the gross margin percentages for year 2009 and year 2010, we see that this figure remained constant at around 67 percent for the company. However, the net margin percentage has nearly doubled, from 4 percent in 2009 to 8 percent in 2010. This is a good improvement. Now we move on to an analysis of Recievables Turnover, which was 13 times in 2009 but improved slightly to 14.5 times in 2010. The asset turnover for both years 2009 and 2010 remained around 0.55 times. On the other hand, Inventory Turnover recorded a slight drop from 11 times in 2009 to 9 times in 2010. The Return on Assets, which was 2 percent in 2009, improved to 4 percent in 2010. Finally, the Return on Equity which was 4.5 percent in 2009 doubled to 9 percent in 2010. So, all in all, we can say that there remains little impr ovement in the company’s financial state of affairs and it would be better not to invest in this company at the present time. Sincerely, Investment Advisor Q.2. Appraisal of Different Products: Pacioli Accounting Software Systems Ltd. The finance director of any firm is most often concerned about two things: how to get surplus cash for investment and how to invest the surplus cash so as to get the best possible return. The Finance Director of Pacioli Accounting Systems is similarly trying to decide about investing in one of the three different tax accounting software packages which

Theories for the Evolution of Alarm Calls

Theories for the Evolution of Alarm Calls Alarm Call Evolution: Altruism or Kin Selection? Taylor Rystrom Introduction Humans have always been fascinated by animal communication. One important manifestation of animal communication is alarm calls. Alarm calls, even functionally referential alarm calls, can be observed across many different species. Prairie dogs give alarm calls specific even to the shirt color that a nearby human is wearing (Slobodchikoff 2009). Male blue monkeys give alarm calls that are specific to predator type, distance, and location (Murphy et al. 2013). Even African elephants, who have relatively few predators, give alarm calls when they hear the sound of bees (King et al. 2010). But why did these alarm calls, a seemingly altruistic act, evolve in so many different animal groups? How did some get so specific? Sherman lays out six interesting theories of the evolution of alarm calls. Alarm calls could have evolved to divert the attention of the predator, discourage the predator, alert relatives of the caller, help the group which the caller resides in, reduce the later return of the predator, or warn others who will reciprocating at a later time (Sherman 1977). The main findings have suggested that alarm calls have either evolved as an altruistic act, possibly with reciprocity among the group, or as a mechanism to protect kin (Trivers 1971, Sherman 1977). As for functionally referential alarm calls, meaning that the alarm calls encode specific information about the predator, evolution has been suggested as a response to the need for different escape methods from different predators due to the habitat of the group (Furrer and Manser 2009). Altruism Theory Although Koenig (1988) points out that there is no commonly accepted definition of altruism in behavioral ecology (Koenig 1988), it can be explained for the purposes of this review as an act that has a cost to the individual and a benefit for others. Reciprocal altruism, which Trivers argues to be present in alarm-calling birds (Trivers 1971), would be a type of altruism which benefits the individual only when another party reciprocates the act toward the first individual (Koenig 1988). Trivers suggests that alarm calling in birds is reciprocal altruism because alarm calling keeps predators from specializing on the location and species of the caller (Trivers 1971). However, Koenig points out that reciprocal altruism is still speculative in birds (Koenig 1988). Furthermore, it is unlikely; if alarm calling is altruistic and natural selection acted on the individual that had the novel gene for alarm calling, the animal would have no increase in fitness, the gene would not spread, and t he trait would not evolve (Charnov and Krebs 1975). This being said, if alarm calling is an altruistic behavior, it must have evolved because of some benefit to the caller (Charnov and Krebs 1975). One speculation is that an alarm call could encode the presence of a predator but leave out the location of the predator, thus causing confusion of the dispersal of the flock while the caller knew exactly how to escape the predator (Charnov and Krebs 1975). However, it has been found that male blue monkeys can in fact encode the predator distance and location, thereby giving all immediate information to their conspecifics (Murphy 2013). Problems arise in this theory when specific species of birds are studied more closely. The alarm calls of one species of jay, the Siberian jay, were closely analyzed due to the nature of the groups of this species of jay. In this species, the jays live in social groups comprised of one dominant breeding pair, their offspring, and sometimes non-related immigrant birds (Griesser and Ekman 2004). If alarm calling is altruistic in this species, the dominant breeding pair would call whenever a predator is nearby, regardless of whether they were with immigrants or kin (Griesser and Ekman 2004). However, the results showed that females called only during the breeding season while their kin was present, while males called indiscriminately (Griesser and Ekman 2004). This raises further questions about the intentions of males; do they call indiscriminately to selfishly protect future mates or to dilute a predator attack by providing benefits to immigrants in the group to reduce the caller†™s chance of being attacked? Willow tits also give alarm calls, but Hogstad (1995) suggests that this is a form of mate investment and evolved for this purpose. Males are dominant and breeding pairs last for several years, so if a female dies, especially during the winter, the male partner will likely be unpaired the following breeding season (Hogstad 1995). Adult willow tit males gave alarm calls more frequently when they could see their mates than when they could not; this implies that alarm calling for this species is primarily a form of mate investment (Hogstad 1995). Since the benefit of having a mate the following season is fairly large for a male willow tit, this is not an altruistic act. Studies regarding animals other than birds suggest that alarm calling is not an altruistic act. Alarm calling would only be categorized as altruistic if the calling was costly to the caller in some way (Koenig 1988). Round-tailed squirrels only give alarm calls when they are already retreating, thus not endangering themselves (Dunford 1977). Marmots do not reduce their own chances of survival because they rarely call when exposed to predators, and their calls are acoustically difficult to detect by predators (Barash 1975). There is no real threat to either of these species when they give alarm call, thus destroying the option of alarm calling being altruistic. Furthermore, yellow-bellied marmots can identify who produced an alarm call and will ignore calls after many false alarms (Blumstein and Daniel 2004). Although this seems to support the hypothesis for reciprocal altruism since identification of false callers is important for the reciprocity, there are no known cases of which ro dents take turns calling. Kin Selection Theory The kin selection theory requires that kin be nearby when alarm calls are given for the function of alerting kin of danger. Kin selection is not altruistic because protecting offspring and other kin is a way to protect the future of one’s own genes. The evolution of alarm calls due to kin selection is definitely dependent on the social system of the species. Belding’s ground squirrels have a social system where females generally stay in their natal territory their whole lives and males are polygynous, do not defend any mates or offspring, and emigrate from their natal territory alone, constantly moving after they mate (Sherman 1977). Sherman (1977) found through an extensive observational study that females call frequently when relatives are nearby and do not call at all when they have no living kin; meanwhile, males rarely call. In another study regarding ground squirrels, Dunford (1977) found that males do sometimes call – but this is only when they are juvenil es and their mother and siblings are near. Sherman (1977) hypothesized that the function of alarm calling is nepotism, and that the evolution of this behavior is due to kin selection. Similar results are found with Gunnison’s prairie dogs (Hoogland 1996). Females with kin in the same territory called more often than females who did not have nearby kin. This species has a slightly different social system than Belding’s ground squirrels. Males guard 3-4 females and move between adjacent territories, and it was observed that males give alarm calls regardless of whether or not they had kin in the territory (Hoogland 1996). It is likely that the males had kin in adjacent territory, so these kin could theoretically be close enough to benefit from an alarm calls. These prairie dogs assess their own personal safety before calling, as they are more likely to call if they are farther from the danger (Hoogland 1996). Previously it had been found that male Black-tailed prairie dogs only give alarm calls only after they sire offspring in the territory (Hoogland 1983). These studies show extreme support for the hypothesis that alarm calls evolved as a form of sele cting for kin. A study on chipmunk alarm call behavior offers support that there could be a reciprocal altruism component to the maintenance of alarm calling in the species (Smith 1978). This is because they are one of few species in which all members of the group can and do give alarm calls (Smith 1978). Although kin selection was most likely the basis for the evolution of the behavior since older females with many nearby daughters give the most alarm calls (Smith 1978), it is interesting that both seemingly opposing hypotheses can work together. When yellow-bellied marmots call, the spotted predators almost always leave. However, not all of these marmots call. Blumstein and Armitage (1975) found that the calling is generally a safe activity for these marmots so there is not much cost associated with alarm calls. Their hypothesis is that some individuals do not call because they are trying to reduce reproductive competition (Blumstein and Armitage 1975). Females are the most likely to call, and only when they have vulnerable young. So if another female refrains from calling when she spots a threat, she will reduce the competition for her young since the most vulnerable are the young which are ignorant to the threat (Blumstein and Armitage 1975). Further Extensions and Conclusions There are also factors which affect the complexity of alarm calls, including the level of sociality and habitat composition of species. Sociality and communicative complexity were compared across three different sciurid rodents, and only in marmots did communicative complexity increase with sociality; there was no correlation for prairie dogs or squirrels (Blumstein and Armitage 1997). This implies that alarm repertoire size has many factors, such as facial and laryngeal morphology and habitat acoustics (Blumstein and Armitage 1997). Habitat could influence the evolution of functionally referential alarm calls because if different escape routes are needed for different predators due to the physical nature of the habitat, then it would be beneficial to your survival to have different alarm calls for each type of predator to streamline the escape (Furrer and Manser 2009). However, this hypothesis is not completely supported by data. In Gunnison’s prairie dogs, the habitat does i nfluence the alarm calls; they have been found to change their alarm call dialects for different levels of vegetation cover (Perla and Slobodchikoff 2002). However, meerkats and Cape ground squirrels live in the same habitat yet only meerkats have functionally referential alarm calls; thus habitat does not have a profound influence on the evolution of functionally referential alarm calls (Furrer and Manser 2009). The continuing evolution of alarm calls into more complex communication like functionally referential alarm calls is an important angle of study. How much of alarm call behavior is learned? Female Campbell’s monkeys produce three alarm calls in the wild but only two in captivity, one of which is not observed in the wild (Oattara et al. 2009). This implies that the capacity for alarm calling evolves, but not fully utilized if not needed. This study also suggests that in order for alarm call behavior to be expressed in a population, the threat of predation must be large. Since captive monkeys do not have predators, they have lost vocalizations associated with this danger (Oattara et al. 2009). The evolution of alarm calls is no simple matter. When factoring in the specific ecology of each species studied to give alarm calls, it all comes down to each species’ life history. It makes sense evolutionarily for a species which live in social groups comprised of kin and non-related individuals to call to warn kin, and if only females live near kin, for females to predominantly call. However, if a species lives in a different type of social group, alarm calling does not necessarily have to function as a way to warn kin. Alarm calling in species of many different types of social groups should be studied in regards to the hypotheses offered by Sherman (1977) in order to find support for other evolutionary drivers as well as reciprocal altruism and kin selection. Literature Cited Barash, David P. Marmot Alarm-Calling and the Question of Altruistic Behavior.American Midland Naturalist94.2 (1975): 468. Print. Blumstein, Daniel T. The Evolution of Functionally Referential Alarm Communication: Multiple Adaptations; Multiple Constraints.Evolution of Communication3.2 (1999): 135-47. Print. Blumstein, Daniel T., and Janice C. Daniel. Yellow-bellied Marmots Discriminate between the Alarm Calls of Individuals and Are More Responsive to Calls from Juveniles.Animal Behaviour68.6 (2004): 1257-265. Print. Blumstein, Daniel T., and Kenneth B. Armitage. Does Sociality Drive the Evolution of Communicative Complexity? A Comparative Test with Groundà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Dwelling Sciurid Alarm Calls.The American Naturalist150.2 (1997): 179-200.JSTOR. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. Blumstein, Daniel T., and Kenneth B. Armitage. Why Do Yellow-bellied Marmots Call?Animal Behaviour56 (1998): 1053-055.JSTOR. Web. 1 Mar. 2014. Charnov, Eric L., and John R. Krebs. The Evolution of Alarm Calls: Altruism or Manipulation?The American Naturalist109.965 (1975): 107-12.JSTOR. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. Dunford, Christopher. Kin Selection for Ground Squirrel Alarm Calls.The American Naturalist111.980 (1977): 782. Print. Furrer, RomanD., and MartaB. Manser. The Evolution of Urgencyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Based and Functionally Referential Alarm Calls in Groundà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Dwelling Species.The American Naturalist173.3 (2009): 400-10. Print. Griesser, Michael, and Jan Ekman. Nepotistic Alarm Calling in the Siberian Jay, Perisoreus Infaustus.Animal Behaviour67 (2004): 933-39.Science Direct. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. Hogstad, Olav. Alarm Calling by Willow Tits, Parus Montanus, as Mate Investment.Animal Behaviour49.1 (1995): 221-25. Print. Hoogland, John L. Nepotism and Alarm Calling in the Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys Ludovicianus).Animal Behaviour31.2 (1983): 472-79. Print. Hoogland, John L. Why Do Gunnisons Prairie Dogs Give Anti-predator Calls?Animal Behaviour51.4 (1996): 871-80. Print. King, Lucy E., Joseph Soltis, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Anne Savage, and Fritz Vollrath. Bee Threat Elicits Alarm Call in African Elephants. Ed. Karen Mccomb.PLoS ONE5.4 (2010): E10346. Print. Koenig, Walter D. Reciprocal Altruism in Birds: A Critical Review.Ethology and Sociobiology9.2-4 (1988): 73-84. Print. Murphy, Derek, Stephen E.g. Lea, and Klaus Zuberbà ¼hler. Male Blue Monkey Alarm Calls Encode Predator Type and Distance.Animal Behaviour85.1 (2013): 119-25. Print. Ouattara, Karim, Klaus Zuberbà ¼hler, Eliezer K. Ngoran, Jean-Emile Gombert, and Alban Lemasson. The Alarm Call System of Female Campbells Monkeys.Animal Behaviour78.1 (2009): 35-44. Print. Perla, Bianca S., and C. N. Slobodchikoff. Habitat Structure and Alarm Call Dialects in Gunnison’s Prairie Dog (Cynomys Gunnisoni).Behavioral Ecology13.6 (2002): 844-50.Oxford Journals. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. Sherman, P. W. Nepotism and the Evolution of Alarm Calls.Science197.4310 (1977): 1246-253. Print. Slobodchikoff, C. N., Andrea Paseka, and Jennifer L. Verdolin. Prairie Dog Alarm Calls Encode Labels about Predator Colors.Animal Cognition12.3 (2009): 435-39. Print. Smith, Stephen F. Alarm Calls, Their Origin and Use in Eutamias Sonomae.Journal of Mammalogy59.4 (1978): 888. Print. Trivers, Robert L. The Evolution of Reciprocal Altruism.The Quarterly Review of Biology46.1 (1971): 35. Print.

Free Merchant of Venice Essays: Anti-Semitism :: Merchant Venice Essays

Anti-Semitism in The Merchant of Venice    Though many view Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice as anti-Semitic, careful examination shows that the playwright actually develops the opposing point of view. These views can be easily established through a careful reading of the plays dialogue, character comparisons, and more subtly through indirect thematic developments by the playwright showing that on both simple and complex levels, Shakespeare attacks the anti-Semitic attitude that has been prevalent in society for centuries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The words of the play actually challenge anti-Semitism. In one of his most eloquent moments Shylock addresses this prejudice when he verbalizes the equality of all men in Act III, Scene 1. He [Antonio] hath disgrac'd men, and hinder'd me half a million; laughed at my losses, mock'd at my gains, scorn'd my nation, thwarted my bargains, cool'd my friends, heated my enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means, warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?    The revenge motif in the play stems from the undeserved ill treatment first of Shylock by Antonio and then Antonio by Shylock. On simple levels Shakespeare shows bigotry and prejudice in all its ugliness through the use of anti-Semitic attitudes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare dispels the premises of anti-Semitism by establishing marked similarities between Shylock and his antagonists in the play. Antonio and Shylock are both business men intent on making money who have allowed this pursuit to become their entire focus. In the cited speech, Shylock indicates his hatred is born of the hatred shown towards him by others (particularly Antonio). Since there is no sound justification for Antonio's attitudes, he serves as a vehicle for establishing the hollowness of prejudice formed without basis. This is reasonably obvious even to the casual reader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a more subtle manner Shakespeare, through the use of the caskets, presents a truism with regard to the contrasts between outward appearances and inner reality leading to the prevailing idea that one must look beyond the surface.

“In Training” By Helen Lawson Essay

Helen Lawson uses a number of sound and picture devices in the poem â€Å"In Training†. How do they help us to enhance her description of the swimmer and the river?We have all seen a swimmer racing at all sports competition before, â€Å"In Training†, by Helen Lawson brings back the thoughts in our memory but moves the background setting to a calm, smooth river in the morning. The poem uses a series of sound and picture devices to help us imagine the swimmer powering through the water. Lawson explains the swimmer’s movements and uses extensive comparisons to help produce detailed pictures in the reader’s mind. Similes are a comparison between two people, places or things. This helps to create a picture in the reader’s mind of what the poet is portraying. There are a number of similes in the poem,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦leaves/ that hang like a veil†, refer to a series of branches drooping over the river to resemble a veil. â€Å"Like a velvet glove†, describes the river gently folding over her as she dives into the cool water of the river. â€Å"†¦velvet glove†, pictures the water grasping onto her as she streamlines underwater. These similes help to describe the image of the swimmer by relating to similar objects. Metaphors are used effectively in this poem to make a more direct comparison. These metaphors help in describing the swimmer and her surrounding with more detail. â€Å"Over the glass ribbon† portrays the river’s water to look clear and â€Å"glassy like in appearance†. â€Å"Then she is an engine† describes the swimmer powering through the water. Just like an engine, as she swims through the water her body moves in a repetitive and rhythmic way. Also, for an engine to function all the parts need to work together. The swimmer uses her legs and arms together to swim strongly. The metaphors used are very useful to help picture the swimmer in ones mind. Personification is used to make an object seem human like, even though it is non living, Lawson uses personification to give the impression of human feelings and movements. â€Å"Dawn Whispers† describes the sounds of the morning leaves and trees rustling in the light and fragile wind. â€Å"The river/ gently enfolds her† reflects on the river closing in and filling the empty spaces around the swimmer as she dives into the water. â€Å"†¦Morning’s secrets†,  describes happenings that only happen in the morning, some of the mornings hidden secrets that can only be seen in the early hours of the day. Personification is an effective form of describing movements and action of non living things, Lawson uses personification very well in this poem. Onomatopoeia is a sound device used in poems to give the impression of sound and effects. â€Å"Stirring the leaves† gives the impression of leaves rustling in the wind. Another example of onomatopoeia is â€Å"†¦ bursts through the surface†, this sentence gives the sound of a big rush of water as she surfaces. â€Å"†¦explosion of action and sound†, portrays water been splashed up by the powerful body movements. The swimmer and the water’s movements and sounds are clearly shown in the text and can be visualized easily. â€Å"In Training† is effective at portraying the swimmers burning desire to win. The poem helps us to feel the swimmer’s want to succeed by starting slowly, complimenting the calm setting of the story, but then building up to large and powerful words. This follows the pace of the swimmer. The swimmer starts slowly, but by the end is powering through the water, splashing up droplets of water that catch the sunshine. I can greatly reflect on this poem, times in the past I had the same passion, but also currently in my life, I have the same burning desire to win and succeed. References: – â€Å"In Training†, Helen Lawson (Poem)- Helen Lawson – An Analysis, Unknown Author (2005)

How to Make a Lichtenberg Figure

How to Make a Lichtenberg Figure Lichtenberg figures are branching structures formed by an electrical discharge on or inside of an insulator. The structures take their name from Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, the physicist who discovered and studied them. Although you can  make your own Lichtenberg figure using polyethylene sheets and talcum powder, there is an easier method you may wish to try. Lichtenberg Figure Materials Sharp metal object (e.g., awl)Insulator (e.g., sheet of acrylic)Photocopier toner Make a Lichtenberg Figure Position the metal object so that only its tip is touching the surface of the insulator.If you have a Wimshurst machine or Van de Graaff generator handy, discharge it through the metal point into the acrylic. (Gray Matter has a cool video of what happens if you use a particle accelerator to create the Lichtenberg figure. Note that the hammer is insulated, thus preventing that persons skin from displaying a Lichtenberg figure. Be careful!)If you dont have a machine, youll have to generate static electricity another way, like by dragging your feet through a shag carpet and zapping yourself on the metal object... fun!In either case, you will create a Lichtenberg figure across the surface of the acrylic, radiating outward from the metal point. However, you probably wont be able to see it. If you (carefully) blow toner powder across the surface of the acrylic, the Lichtenberg figure will be revealed.

Internet Marketing Exploratory Descriptive and Causal essays

Internet Marketing Exploratory Descriptive and Causal essays One of the most useful aspects of the Internet is its accessibility to the development of new business ideas regarding the gathering and disseminating of information. One Internet marketing aspect that cannot be deployed by a brick and mortar firm, for example, is the use of Internet search engines, such as Google (which has recently gone public' to investors) as a business. In other words, actual portholes to information on the World Wide Web can become businesses and advertising sites themselves. Other aspects of using the Internet for as a way of marketing actual information systems can be found at the Electronic Library, where users can pay a fee to access protected documents in a number of online journals. Access to information very quickly becomes a commodity to be bought and sold, in other words, on the Internet, in a way that it seldom One of the most valuable sources of information as commodities provided by the Internet are the sources of data that can be accessed regarding consumers and why they buy or do not buy products. Individual marketers can send out surveys on the Internet in massive numbers, and through the use of online coupons, for example, give immediate reinforcement for the Website user's time in filling out such surveys, as well as encourage them to purvey the Website's products yet again. As with real-life marketing research and information gathering, there are exploratory, descriptive, and causal research designs that can generate such information regarding Internet consumers to create more effective marketing devices. Exploratory research can take the form of on-line questionnaires, directed, for instance, to those who use a particular Website, asking them about the quality of the site, whether the products accessed were desirable to them, and if the instructions regarding the product, if complicated to use such as computer products...

The Four Building Blocks of Competitive Advantage Research Paper

The Four Building Blocks of Competitive Advantage - Research Paper Example Each of these concepts has very different implications for the organization as it relates to being able to successfully outperform competition. Competitive advantage is defined as the specific strategic advantages that a company maintains over rival companies in the same market or industry that serves to strengthen business position. Others consider competitive advantage to be the implementation of a unique value creation that is not currently being exploited by competition (Clulow, Gerstman & Barry, 2003). Whatever the actual definition of competitive advantage, it cannot be successfully achieved without efficiency, quality, innovation and customer responsiveness as the foundation of business. Efficiency means being able to produce more outputs than competition at a much lower price for inputs. The end result of being able to achieve this is having a cost advantage over competition. Cost advantages give the business opportunities to consider flexible pricing structures as they can n ow provide products at a much lower input cost. Efficiency could be achieved by setting up a lean production system that uses less physical raw resources and also reduce reliance on labor payments for manufacturing. A business might be able to find, through strategic alliances along the supply chain, opportunities for volume discounts on raw product procurement. This represents lower input costs to achieve the same or higher outputs. Quality is a very important dimension for achieving competitive advantage.

Contingency Leadership Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contingency Leadership Theory - Essay Example How workers feel about their jobs depends partly on the compatibility of job requirements with their personal attributes acquired even before they came to the organization. The complexity lies in the wide differences among individuals and their orientation. Arguably, individuals adjust to their jobs over time, but this is tempered by organizational complexities that may negatively rather than positively induce job satisfaction and productivity. The present globalized environment dominated by multinationals introduces many other external elements not considered by Shepard and Hougland. Contingency theory provides an excuse for poor performance by citing supposedly unforeseeable risks (Noor & Tichacek, 2009). Multinational corporations also call for the global leader to consider cultural disparities in conducting international business operations (Shin, Heath & Lee, 2011). Greater employee expectations also call for the leader to be charismatic and accommodating (Kirkhaug, 2010) at the risk of virtual mutiny. Adding to the complexity is the clamour to develop a contingency model of governance (Ansell & Gash (2008) in compliance with corporate social responsibility demands. These developments increase the uncertainties faced by the organizational leaders who are increasingly called to render judgment calls to meet progressively more complex situations (Tichy & Bennis, 2007). These numerous and sometimes conflicting expectations that make contingency leadership difficult but at the same time necessary. They also make an objective assessment of leadership effectiveness that much more untenable. Â